I 1111111111111111 11111 111111111111111 IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIIII IIII IIII IIII
`US007 444 7 48B2
`
`c12) United States Patent
`MacNeil
`
`(IO) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`(54) CLOSE-CONFORMING VEHICLE FLOOR
`TRAY WITH RESERVOIR
`
`(76)
`
`Inventor: David F. MacNeil, 205 E. Sixth St.,
`Hinsdale, IL (US) 60521
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 424 days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 11/261,700
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Oct. 28, 2005
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2006/0091695 Al
`
`May 4, 2006
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/976,441,
`filed on Oct. 29, 2004, now Pat. No. 7,316,847.
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`B21D 53/88
`(2006.01)
`B23Q 17100
`(2006.01)
`B21B 1146
`(2006.01)
`G0JB 51004
`(2006.01)
`B62D 25120
`(2006.01)
`(52) U.S. Cl. .................. 29/897.2; 29/527.1; 29/407.05;
`33/503; 296/97.23; 73/1.79
`( 58) Field of Classification Search . ... ... ... ... .. . 29/897 .2,
`29/527.1, 407.05; 33/503; 296/97.23; 73/1.79
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`2,188,342 A *
`1/1940 England ..................... 264/552
`4,693,507 A
`9/1987 Dresen et al.
`
`4,721,641 A
`4,828,898 A
`5,208,995 A *
`D377,780 S
`6,022,503 A *
`6,027,782 A
`6,058,618 A *
`6,155,629 A
`6,431,629 Bl
`6,732,030 B2 *
`2004/0048036 Al
`
`1/1988 Bailey
`5/1989 Bailey
`5/1993 McKendrick ................ 33/567
`2/1997 MacNeil
`2/2000 Hudkins et al.
`2/2000 Sherman
`5/2000 Hemmelgarn et al. ......... 33/503
`12/2000 Sherman
`8/2002 Emery
`5/2004 Jones ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... 701/33
`3/2004 Nakasuji
`
`............. 264/243
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Husky Liner for 1999 Ford Super Duty, downloaded from http://
`www.huskyliners.com/superduty.html on Jan. 3, 2005.
`Autoform Trunk Liner, English web page, downloaded from http://
`www.autoform.se/eng/products_trunk_liners.htmon Oct. 20, 2004.
`"Installation Instructions For Your F-150/F-250 Ford Truck Front
`Floor Liners". Winfield Consumer Products, Feb. 1, 2001, down(cid:173)
`loaded from http //www huskyliners.com on Jan. 3, 2005.
`
`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner-David P. Bryant
`Assistant Examiner-Alexander P Taousakis
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Momkus McCluskey, LLC;
`Jefferson Perkins
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A vehicle floor tray is molded from a multiple extrusion
`thermoplastic polymer sheet such that it has high shear and
`tensile strength, an acceptable degree of stiffness and a high
`coefficient of friction on its upper surface. The floor tray
`design is digitally fitted to a foot well of a particular model of
`vehicle such that a lower surface of the tray is no more than
`one-half of an inch from a digitally acquired model of the foot
`well surface.
`
`5 Claims, 24 Drawing Sheets
`
`700
`
`701
`
`702
`
`703
`
`704
`
`705
`
`706
`
`707
`
`709
`
`CMM VEHICLE FOOT WELL
`POINT AQUISITION
`
`SPLINES
`
`VEHICLE FOOT WELL
`SURFACE MOOEL
`
`TOP, BOTTOM SKETCH PLANES
`
`SIDEWALLS
`
`FIT CURVES
`
`RADIUSING
`
`ADJUST FOR SURFACE
`IRREGULARITIES
`
`IMPORT RESERVOIR, CHANNELS
`
`711
`
`708
`
`714
`
`TRIEXTRUSION
`SHEETS
`
`710
`
`712
`
`716
`
`VEHICLE
`FLOOR TRAYS
`
`EX1004
`Yita v. MacNeil
`IPR2020-01139
`
`

`

`US 7,444,748 B2
`Page 2
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Husky Deep Tray Floor Liner, downloaded from http://www.
`truckstuffusa.corn/cusfitdeeptr.html on Jan. 3, 2005.
`Web pages featuring products from 3D Carpet Liners, Weatherboots,
`Nifty Products, Inc and Husky, downloaded from http://www.
`premiermotoring.net on Aug. 11, 2004.
`WeatherTech Floor Mat and Cargo Liner Product Sheets, MacNeil
`Automotive Products Limited, Downers Grove, IL, Nov. 1994, 4 pp.
`Faro Laser ScanArm, downloaded from http://www.faro.com/Prod(cid:173)
`ucts/ScanArm.asp on Sep. 23, 2004.
`Faro ScanArm Product Techsheet, downloaded from http://www.
`faro.corn/Products/Product_ Techsheet.asp?techsheet_id~ 106
`on
`Oct. 11, 2004.
`
`"CMM Produces Bikes With Custom-Look", downloaded from
`http://manufacturingcenter.com/man/articles/0604/0604CMM.asp
`on Oct. 11, 2004.
`"Stereolithography (SLA) for Rapid Precision Prototypes", p. 1,
`downloaded from http://www.boedeker.com/sla.htm on Oct. 12,
`2004.
`"About Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM)", downloaded from
`http://cmm.globalspec.com on Oct. 11, 2004.
`"Bagagerumsmattor", downloaded from http:/ /www.autoform.se/sv /
`produkter_bagagerumsmattor.htm on Oct. 20, 2004.
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
` QO U.S.PatentNov.4,2008Sheet1of24US7,444,748B2
`
`/ 100
`
`N
`0
`0
`
`FIG. 1
`
`

`

`112 449
`
`
`©9122
`
`~
`00
`•
`~
`~
`~
`
`~ =
`
`~
`
`./100
`
` 8007‘F“AONjude“S'0
`
` IF 1323 ~T
`
`122
`10
`_j
`130
`
`134
`
`10
`
`l
`
`4
`
`l
`
`z 0
`~ ...
`
`~
`
`N
`0
`0
`QO
`
`4
`_j
`
`
`
`
`
`('D
`
`rJJ
`
`VTJOZTJOU
`
`=-('D
`.....
`N
`0 ....
`N ...
`
`208
`
`FIG. 2
`
`9--4
`
`3--4
`
`140
`
`d r.,;_
`-....l
`~
`~
`~
`~
`~
`
`7dSbL’rrr’sSN
`
`00 = N
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 3 of 24
`Sheet 3 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`N
`
`
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 4 of 24
`Sheet 4 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov.4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 5 of 24
`Sheet 5 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`T""" V
`
`N
`M
`T"""
`
`0
`LO
`
`V')
`
`~
`k;
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 6 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`/100
`
`606
`
`600
`
`604
`
`300
`
`FIG. 6
`
`_j_
`
`a l b J
`
`C
`
`7
`
`700
`
`701
`
`702
`
`703
`
`704
`
`705
`
`706
`
`707
`
`709
`
`CMM VEHICLE FOOT WELL
`POINT AQUISITION
`
`SPLINES
`
`VEHICLE FOOT WELL
`SURFACE MODEL
`
`TOP, BOTTOM SKETCH PLANES
`
`SIDEWALLS
`
`FIT CURVES
`
`RADIUSING
`
`ADJUST FOR SURFACE
`IRREGULARITIES
`
`IMPORT RESERVOIR, CHANNELS
`
`711
`
`708
`
`714
`
`TRIEXTRUSION
`SHEETS
`
`SHELL
`
`TRAY DATA
`FILE
`
`SLA
`
`MOLD
`
`VEHICLE
`FLOOR TRAYS
`FIG. 7
`
`710
`
`712
`
`716
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 7 of 24
`Sheet 7 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`818
`13
`820
`822 )_
`824
`808 810
`~
`
`
`
`FIG. 8
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov.4, 2008
`
`Sheet 8 of 24
`Sheet 8 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`0
`0
`,-
`
`0
`LO
`N
`
`
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 9 of 24
`Sheet 9 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`C'\J
`
`C> co
`
`
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 10 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`150
`
`0.022
`0.039
`
`826
`0.039
`0.042
`0.061
`
`0.125
`
`FIG. 11
`
`0.078
`
`FIG. 12
`
`802
`
`

`

`Noy, 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`~
`C
`l,O
`~
`0)
`ci 0
`......
`c::i c
`
`0
`
`Sheet 11 of 24
`
`Sheet11 of24
`
`US
`
`7,444,748 B2
`Us 7,444,748 B2
`
`U.S, Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`PEI
`
`C08
`
`0
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov.4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 12 of 24
`Sheet 12 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`833
`
`802
`802
`
`100"-
`
`100~.
`
`FIG. 14
`
`0.061
`
`0.125
`
`830
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 13 of 24
`Sheet 13 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`c.o
`0
`
`N
`0
`LO
`
`l')
`~
`
`~ k;
`
`-.::I'"
`CV)
`L.{')
`
`N
`N
`LO
`
`'<~
`' \
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`Sheet 14 of 24
`Sheet 14 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
` QO U.S.PatentNov.4,2008Sheet15of24US7,444,748B2
`
`N
`0
`0
`
`21~
`
`FIG. 17
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`Sheet 16 of 24
`Sheet 16 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`, -
`
`g/
`
`I.(')
`,-
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 17 of 24
`Sheet 17 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`C)
`C)
`en
`
`
`
`N
`C)
`,....
`Lt')
`
`,....
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 18 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 19 of 24
`Sheet 19 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2 FIG.
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`20A
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 20 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`1522
`
`FIG. 21A
`
`1902
`
`FIG. 21B
`
`

`

`S
`
`\
`' \ g/\
`' \
`
`' '
`\
`
`\
`
`\
`
`\ \
`
`\
`
`0,
`~
`
`'
`
`' \ \
`
`'
`\
`
`I
`
`I
`
`J
`
`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 21 of 24
`Sheet 21 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`Nr
`
`on)
`
`0
`0
`0
`N
`
`0
`0
`0 ,
`
`

`

`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov.4, 2008
`
`Sheet 22 of 24
`Sheet 22 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`U.S. Patent
`
`U.S. Patent
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`Sheet 23 of 24
`Sheet 23 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 4, 2008
`
`Sheet 24 of 24
`
`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`FIG. 25
`
`CMM VEHICLE FOOTWELL
`SURFACE MEASUREMENT
`
`VEHICLE FOOTWELL SURFACE MODEL
`
`CREATE INITIAL TRAY
`LOWER SURFACE
`
`DEFINE TOP SKETCH PLANE
`
`DRAFT DEEP VERTICAL WALLS
`
`SMOOTH SURFACE IRREGULARITIES
`
`PLACE RESERVOIR
`
`DOWN-PROJECT RESERVOIR
`
`PLACE CHANNELS
`
`TRIM OUT HEEL TRAP
`
`DOWN-PROJECT CHANNELS
`
`2500
`
`1900
`
`2502
`
`2504
`
`2506
`
`2508
`
`2510
`
`2512
`
`2514
`
`2516
`
`2518
`
`TOOL FILE
`
`SHELLING FOR SLA
`
`TEST FIT, MODS
`
`2520
`
`2522
`
`2524
`
`FINAL FILE
`
`2526
`
`MOLD TOOL
`
`THERMOPLASTIC SHEETS
`
`2528
`TRAYS
`
`1500
`
`2530
`
`

`

`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`1
`CLOSE-CONFORMING VEHICLE FLOOR
`TRAY WITH RESERVOIR
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent
`application No. 10/976,441 filed Oct. 29, 2004, now U.S. Pat.
`No. 7,316,847 the specification and drawings of which are
`fully incorporated by reference herein.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Motor vehicles are almost always operated in the out of
`doors and are frequently parked there. It is therefore very
`common for their occupants to have wet or muddy feet-if
`the occupants have not just finished an outdoor activity, at
`least they have had to walk across a possibly wet, snowy or
`muddy surface to access their vehicles. For decades, there(cid:173)
`fore, vehicle owners have been attempting to protect the
`enclosed interiors of their vehicles ( cars, trucks, SUV s) from 20
`what they themselves track into them. The conventional solu(cid:173)
`tion to this has been to provide a vehicle floor mat which may
`be periodically removed by the owner and cleaned.
`Human beings have a tendency to move their feet around,
`and foot motion is an absolute requirement in operating most
`vehicles. This has caused a problem, in that the occupants of
`a vehicle have a tendency to push around the floor mats with
`their feet. The floor mats end up not being centered on the area
`protected, or pushed up so as to occlude the gas, brake or
`clutch pedals, or bunched up or folded over - all undesirable
`conditions. One objective of floor mat manufacturers has
`therefore been to provide a floor mat that will stay put and
`which will not adversely affect vehicle operation.
`The foot wells of cars, trucks and SUVs vary in size in
`shape from one model of vehicle to the next. Floor mat manu(cid:173)
`facturers have noticed that floor mats which at least approxi(cid:173)
`mately conform to the shape of the bottom surface of the foot
`well stay in place better and offer more protection. It is also
`common for such floor mats, where provided for front seat 40
`foot wells, to have portions which are meant to lie against the
`firewalls or front surfaces of the foot wells. Even as so
`extended it is not too hard to provide a floor mat of flexible
`material that will approximately conform to these two sur(cid:173)
`faces, as the designer only has to mark a two-dimensional
`periphery of the mat in providing one which will fit reason(cid:173)
`ably well.
`More recently, vehicle floor trays have come onto the mar(cid:173)
`ket. Most front-seat vehicle foot wells are actually three(cid:173)
`dimensional concave shapes, typically with complex curved
`surfaces. Floor trays have sidewalls that offer enhanced pro(cid:173)
`tection to the surfaces surrounding the vehicle floor, as might
`be needed against wearers with very muddy or snowy shoes.
`Conventional vehicle floor trays try to fit into these three(cid:173)
`dimensional cavities, but so far their fit to the surfaces that 55
`they are supposed to protect has been less than optimum. A
`conventional vehicle floor tray is typically molded of a single(cid:173)
`ply rubber or plastic material, exhibits enough stiffness to
`retain a three-dimensional shape, but is also at least somewhat
`flexible. Fitting such a tray to the complex three-dimensional 60
`surface of a vehicle foot well has proven to be difficult, and
`many products currently in the marketplace have limited con(cid:173)
`sumer acceptance because of their loose fit inside the foot
`well. There is often, and in many places, a considerable space
`between the exterior wall of these conventional trays and the 65
`interior surface of the foot well. This causes the wall to
`noticeably deform when the occupant's foot contacts it.
`
`2
`Vehicle owners have a tendency to dislike floor trays which
`rattle, deform, shift and flop about.
`One conventional tray molding process is believed to take
`a casting or male impression of the vehicle foot well surface
`5 and to produce a mold based on that casting. This casting
`necessitates substantial and uniform compression of the
`vehicle carpet pile and subsequently causes an inexactness of
`fit. Floor trays produced by this process also have been rela(cid:173)
`tively shallow, perhaps due to limitations inherent in using a
`10 casting fluid which then solidifies. This process has not been
`used to take an impression of a door sill or sill curve adjacent
`the foot well, or to create a floor tray that protects these
`surfaces.
`A need therefore persists for a floor tray that will have a
`15 more exact fit to the vehicle foot well for which it is provided,
`that stays in place once it is installed, and that provides a more
`solid and certain feel to the occupants' feet.
`Some vehicle floor mats that are now on the market have
`fluid reservoirs built into them. Particularly in cold or wet
`climates, dirty water has a tendency to be shed onto the floor
`mat, where it persists until it evaporates. If there is enough of
`it, it will leak off of the floor mat and stain the carpeting of the
`foot well that the mat was meant to protect. These reservoirs
`typically are recessed areas in the mats that provide the mats
`25 with an enhanced ability to retain snow-melt and the like,
`until the water evaporates or can be disposed ofby the vehicle
`owner or user. One advanced design places treads in the
`middle of the reservoir, such that the feet of the occupant are
`held above any fluid that the reservoir collects. But including
`30 such a reservoir within a floor tray that otherwise has an
`acceptable fit to the three-dimensional surface of a vehicle
`foot well has not yet been done, since there are problems in
`incorporating a three-dimensional liquid-holding vessel into
`a product that ideally conforms, on its lower surface, to the
`35 surface of the foot well. Further, a reservoir which collects
`drip water from a large surface, such as a vehicle floor tray,
`will exhibit more problems in keeping the collected fluid from
`sloshing about in a moving vehicle than a reservoir in a mat of
`more limited area.
`Conventional vehicle floor mats and trays are molded from
`a single rubber or plastic material. The selection of this mate(cid:173)
`rial is controlled by its cost, its resistance to shear forces, its
`tensile strength, its abrasion resistance, its ability to conform
`to the surface of the vehicle foot well, its sound-deadening
`45 properties and how slippery or nonslippery it is relative to the
`occupants' feet, with nonslipperiness (having a relatively
`high coefficient of friction) being advantageous. Often the
`designer must make tradeoffs among these different design
`constraints in specifying the material from which the tray or
`50 mat is to be made.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided
`a vehicle floor cover, mat or tray which is removably install(cid:173)
`able by a consumer and which is formed of at least three
`layers that are bonded together, preferably by coextrusion.
`The three layers include a central layer whose composition is
`distinct from a bottom layer and a top layer. Preferably, all
`three layers are formed of thermoplastic polymer materials.
`In another aspect of the invention, the top layer exhibits a
`kinetic coefficient of friction with respect to a sample meant
`to emulate a typical shoe outsole (neoprene rubber, Shore A
`Durometer 60) of at least about 0.82.
`Preferably, a major portion of the central layer is a poly(cid:173)
`olefin. More preferably, the polyolefin is either a polypropy(cid:173)
`lene or a polyethylene. Most preferably, the polyolefin is a
`
`

`

`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`3
`high molecular weight polyethylene (HMPE) as herein
`defined. In an alternative embodiment, the central layer can
`be a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) or an acryloni(cid:173)
`trile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymer blend.
`Preferably, a major portion of the top layer is a thermoplas(cid:173)
`tic elastomer, such as one of the publicly available but pro(cid:173)
`prietary compositions sold under the trademarks SANTO(cid:173)
`PRENE®, GEOLAST® and VYRAM®. VYRAM® is
`particularly preferred. In another embodiment, a major por(cid:173)
`tion of the top layer can be an ABS polymer blend. Where
`ABS is used in both the top and central layers, it is preferred
`that the amount of the polybutadiene phase in the top layer be
`greater than the amount of this phase in the central layer.
`It is further preferred that a major portion of the bottom
`layer likewise be a thermoplastic elastomer, and conveniently
`it can be, but does not have to be, of the same composition as
`the major portion of the top layer.
`Preferably one or more of the layers is actually a polymer
`blend, in which a minor portion is preselected for its coextru(cid:173)
`sion compatibility with the adjacent layer(s). Thus, a minor
`portion of the top and bottom layers can consist of a polyole(cid:173)
`fin, while a minor portion of the central layer can consist of a
`thermoplastic elastomer. In each case, it is preferred that the
`minor portion be no more than about one part in four by
`weight of each layer, or a weight ratio of 1 :3. Where all three 25
`layers are preselected to be ABS blends, the amount of polyb(cid:173)
`utadiene in the blend preferably is decreased in the central
`layer relative to the top and bottom layers.
`While the preferred embodiment of the vehicle floor cover
`consists of three integral layers, any one of the recited layers 30
`can in fact be made up of two or more sub layers, such that the
`total number of sublayers in the resultant mat or tray can
`exceed three.
`In another embodiment, the thermoplastic elastomer con(cid:173)
`stituent of the top, central and/or bottom layers described
`above can be replaced with a natural or synthetic rubber,
`including styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, acry(cid:173)
`lonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) or ethylene propylene diene
`monomer rubber (EPDM).
`According to a related aspect of the invention, a vehicle
`floor cover is provided that has three layers bonded together,
`preferably by coextrusion. Major portions of the top and
`bottom layer consist of thermoplastic elastomer(s ). The top
`and bottom layers have compositions distinct from the central
`layer, which can be chosen for its relatively low expense. It is
`preferred that a major portion of the central layer be a poly(cid:173)
`olefin and that major portions of the top and bottom layers be
`one or more thermoplastic elastomers. The polyolefin may be
`selected from the group consisting of polypropylene and
`polyethylene, and preferably is a high molecular weight poly(cid:173)
`ethylene (HMPE). The thermoplastic elastomer can, for
`example, be SANTOPRENE®, GEO LAST® or VYRAM®,
`with VYRAM® being particularly preferred. It is also pre(cid:173)
`ferred that each of the layers be a polymer blend, with a minor
`portion of each layer being chosen for its coextrusion com(cid:173)
`patibility with adjacent layers. For example, the top and bot(cid:173)
`tom layers can consist of a 3:1 weight ratio ofVYRAM®/
`HMPE, and the central layer of a 3: 1 weight ratio of HMPE/
`VYRAM®.
`In an embodiment alternative to the one above, the top and
`bottom layers can consist of ABS polymer blends and the
`central layer can consist of SAN or an ABS in which the
`polybutadiene phase is present in a smaller concentration
`than in the top and bottom layers.
`In yet another embodiment, the thermoplastic elastomer
`recited in this aspect of the invention may be replaced with a
`natural or synthetic rubber, such as styrene butadiene rubber
`
`4
`(SBR), butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber
`(NBR) or ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM).
`In a further aspect of the invention, a vehicle floor tray or
`mat according to the invention is made of three layers,
`5 wherein a top layer and a bottom layer have composition(s)
`distinct from the central layer, and wherein at least one of the
`shear strength per cross-sectional area, tensile strength per
`cross-sectional area and stiffness per cross-sectional area is
`greater than any one of the layers from which the tray or mat
`10 is composed. It has been found that a triextruded vehicle mat
`or floor tray according to the invention exhibits a tensile
`strength at yield, a tensile stress at break, a tensile modulus, a
`shear strength and a flexural modulus (stiffness) which are
`superior to either a polyolefin-dominated single extrusion or
`15 a thermoplastic elastomer-dominated single extrusion. The
`triextrusion tray demonstrates these enhanced physical prop(cid:173)
`erties while at the same time affording an enhanced coeffi(cid:173)
`cient of friction to the feet of the occupant and improved
`tactile properties. By presenting such a surface to the shoe of
`20 the driver or passenger, the footing of the driver or passenger
`will be more sure and comfortable.
`In a further aspect of the invention, a vehicle foot well tray
`is provided as a part of a system that has the vehicle foot well
`as its other main component. The tray has a greatly enhanced
`conformance to the surface of the vehicle foot well for which
`it is provided. At least two upstanding walls of the tray, both
`extending from the tray floor to a top margin, conform to
`respective surfaces of the vehicle foot well such that at least
`within that one-third of the area of the outer surface of these
`upstanding walls of the tray which is adjacent the top margin,
`90% of that top third area departs by no more than about
`one-eighth of an inch (0.317 cm) from the foot well surfaces
`to which they mate. These upstanding tray surfaces may be
`opposed surfaces or adjacent surfaces, and preferably are
`35 both. In one embodiment in which the tray extends to cover a
`vehicle door sill, the tray departs from a door sill surface of
`the vehicle foot well, and/or a sill curve of the vehicle foot
`well, by about 0.025 inches (0.064 cm). The upstanding side(cid:173)
`walls of the floor tray conform to the foot well surfaces which
`40 they cover, even where such foot well surfaces present both
`concave and convex surface elements.
`In another embodiment of the invention, a tray fits into a
`vehicle foot well such that, when a vehicle foot well surface
`model replicating the vehicle foot well surface, preferably as
`45 it exists in a substantially uncompressed condition, is super(cid:173)
`imposed to best fit to the lower surface of the tray, at least
`ninety percent of the lower surface of the tray is within 0.25
`inch (0.635 cm) of the vehicle foot well surface model. Pref(cid:173)
`erably, at least fifty percent of this lower tray surface is dis-
`50 posed within 0.125 inch (0.317 cm) of this model. The tray
`includes a reservoir within its aft two-thirds and which occu(cid:173)
`pies between ten and fifty percent of the upper tray surface. A
`circumferential wall of the tray reservoir is at least 0.050"
`(0.127 cm) deep and more preferably is 0.25 inches (0.635
`55 cm) deep.
`In a still further aspect of the invention, a top margin of a
`vehicle floor tray is substantially coplanar on at least two
`upstanding sidewalls thereof. Preferably, the top margin of
`the tray is substantially coplanar through three or even four
`60 continuous upstanding sidewalls. This eases the design of the
`floor tray, increases hoop strength and assures that all
`upstanding surfaces of the vehicle foot well will receive
`adequate protection from muddy footwear. In a particularly
`preferred embodiment, the plane of the top margin is for-
`65 wardly and upwardly tilted relative to a horizontal floor. This
`provides enhanced protection to the vehicle foot well pre(cid:173)
`cisely in the place where muddy footwear are likely to be,
`
`

`

`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`5
`
`6
`the reservoir and channels into the design, and may also be
`used in areas of the tray where a very tight fit with the actual
`floor surface is desired, such as around the accelerator and
`brake pedals. The system and method of the invention permit
`this intentional use of"negative standoff', while older design
`methods do not. Since vehicle carpet pile may be nonuni(cid:173)
`formly and variably compressed from one area to the next,
`this use of "negative standoff' results in a molded floor tray,
`with channel and reservoir features, that actually fits better to
`10 the vehicle foot well for which it is designed than if this
`concept is not used.
`
`5
`near the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals or the firewall,
`while allowing movement of the seat. In a preferred embodi(cid:173)
`ment, the tray is at least four inches (10.1 cm) deep at its
`deepest part.
`In a still further aspect of the invention, the above men(cid:173)
`tioned tight tolerances are made possible by a novel vehicle
`floor tray manufacturing method and system. In a first step
`according to the invention, points on a surface of the vehicle
`foot well are digitally measured with a coordinate measuring
`machine (CMM). These points are stored in a computer
`memory. A foot well surface is generated which includes
`these points, preferably by connecting linear groups of the
`points together by using B-splines, and lofting between the
`B-splines to create areal portions of the foot well surface.
`Using this typically complex three-dimensional, predomi- 15
`nately concave surface, which may have several concavely
`and convexly curved portions, a corresponding, substantially
`convex outer or lower floor tray surface is created such that in
`many regions, the distance between the outer surface of the
`tray and the surface of the foot well is no more than about one 20
`eighth of an inch (0.317 cm), insuring a snug fit.
`In one embodiment of the invention, a reservoir is incor(cid:173)
`porated into the tray floor as a collection and evaporation area
`for drip water from the feet and legs of the occupant. Com(cid:173)
`bination baffles/treads are provided in the reservoir to impede 25
`lateral movement of the collected fluid. Longitudinal and
`transverse portions of these baffles are joined together. Chan(cid:173)
`nels are cut into another portion of the central area of the tray
`to direct fluid to the reservoir, such that the bottom of the
`channels is beneath a general tray floor surface but above the 30
`bottom of the reservoir. In a preferred driver's side embodi(cid:173)
`ment, the channels are omitted from a portion of the floor tray
`upper surface to leave a blank space where the driver's heel
`will rest when operating the gas and brake pedals.
`In a second process and system according to the invention, 35
`a vehicle foot well surface model is constructed by digitally
`measuring and storing points on an actual vehicle foot well
`surface, preferably one which is substantially uncompressed.
`The digital measurement step preferably is one which does
`not compress the surface being measured. This foot well 40
`surface model is replicated to begin creating a general lower
`surface of the vehicle floor tray. Within a predetermined res(cid:173)
`ervoir area, the vehicle foot well surface model is down(cid:173)
`wardly projected by at least 0.050 inch (0.127 cm) and more
`preferably by about 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) from the general 45
`lower surface of the tray in order to create a lower surface of
`the tray image within the reservoir area. Preferably, and
`within an adjacent, predetermined channel area, a plurality of
`elongate, spaced-apart, parallel channels are defined, and
`these channels are down-projected by a depth which is less 50
`than the depth of the reservoir boundary. As so modified, the
`three-dimensional image of the lower surface of the tray is
`used to construct a mold. The mold in turn is used to manu(cid:173)
`facture vehicle floor trays from sheets of thermoplastic mate(cid:173)
`rial.
`In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compress(cid:173)
`ibility of the vehicle foot well surface (which typically is
`formed by a carpet pile) is taken advantage of by creating a
`vehicle floor tray lower surface that, in many places, inten(cid:173)
`tionally is in "negative standoff' with the vehicle floor surface 60
`model that it is designed to fit. That is, when an image of the
`lower surface of the vehicle floor tray is mathematically
`superimposed onto the vehicle floor surface model in a way
`that achieves the best fit between the two, some areas of the
`floor tray lower surface will be above the surface of the
`vehicle floor surface model, and other areas will be below it.
`"Negative standoff' is advantageously used in incorporating
`
`55
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`Further aspects of the invention and their advantages can be
`discerned in the following detailed description, in which like
`characters denote like parts and in which:
`FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a vehicle
`floor tray according to the invention;
`FIG. 2 is a top view of the floor tray illustrated in FIG. 1;
`FIG. 3 is an isometric and transverse sectional view of the
`floor tray seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the section taken substan(cid:173)
`tially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
`FIG. 4 is an isometric and longitudinal sectional view of the
`floor tray shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the section taken substan(cid:173)
`tially along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;
`FIG. 5 is a side view of the tray illustrated in FIG. 1, taken
`from the outer side;
`FIG. 6 is a highly magnified sectional detail of a vehicle
`floor tray, showing triextruded layers;
`FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram showing steps in a first
`design and manufacturing process according to the invention;
`and
`FIG. 8 is an isometric and schematic view of a digitally
`acquired vehicle foot well floor surface from which the illus(cid:173)
`trated floor tray was made;
`FIG. 9 is a partly transverse sectional, partly isometric view
`of both the floor tray illustrated in FIG. 2 and the vehicle foot
`well surface illustrated in FIG. 8, taken substantially along
`line 9-9 of FIG. 2 and substantially along line 9-9 of FIG. 8;
`FIG. 10 is a partly transverse sectional, partly isometric
`view of both the floor tray illustrated in FIG. 2 and the vehicle
`foot well surface illustrated in FIG. 8, taken substantially
`along line 10-10 of FIG. 2 and substantially along line 10-10
`of FIG. 8;
`FIG. 11 is a detail of a firewall region of FIG. 10;
`FIG. 12 is a detail of a seat pedestal region of FIG. 10;
`FIG. 13 is a partly longitudinal sectional, partly isometric
`view of both the floor tray illustrated in FIG. 2 and the vehicle
`foot well surface illustrated in FIG. 8, taken substantially
`along line 13-13 of FIG. 2 and substantially along line 13-13
`of FIG. 8;
`FIG. 14 is a detail of a kick plate region of FIG. 13;
`FIG. 15 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a
`vehicle floor tray according to the invention, shaded to show
`regions of the tray where the lower surface of the tray is
`outside of a first predetermined tolerance with respect to a
`modeled vehicle foot well surface;
`FIG.16 is an isometric view of the floor tray shown in FIG.
`15, shown from another point of view;
`FIG.17 is an isometric view of the tray shown inFIGS.15
`and 16, but shaded to show regions of the tray where the tray
`lower surface is outside of a second predetermined tolerance
`65 with respect to the modeled vehicle foot well surface;
`FIG. 18 is an isometric view of the tray as shaded in FIG.
`17, but from the point of view shown in FIG. 18;
`
`

`

`US 7,444,748 B2
`
`7
`FIG. 19 is a part-isometric, part transverse sectional view
`taken substantially along Line 19-19 of FIG. 17, superim(cid:173)
`posed on a like portion of the modeled vehicle foot well
`surface;
`FIG. 20 is a part-isometric, part transverse sectional view 5
`taken substantially along Line 20-20 of FIG. 17, super